Border Villages of Ivaylovgrad

Small Bulgarian villages abutting the border with Greece are dwindling in size, but there is some hope for revitalization. Odrintsi was once populated by Bulgarians fleeing Edirne, Turkey following the Second Balkan War. Recently, a group from Germany purchased many of the eroding village buildings and began renovating, choosing to live off of the land instead working corporate jobs. Nearby Mandritsa was founded by Albanians while the area was unified under Ottoman rule and a new hotel sprung up in the center of town with hopes of luring summer vacationers. In the past, the region heavily emphasized tobacco and silk production, but silk is lessening and vineyards are increasing in size. Demand for Bulgarian wines is increasing with exposure and the local mavrud varietal is both delicious and unique to the region.